Sig Sauer shows off new Army handgun with advanced sight, suppressor

The Army's new M17 handgun is shown with a Sig Sauer reflex sight during range day at the 2018 SHOT Show in Las Vegas, Nev. (Christian Lowe/Staff)

LAS VEGAS — The makers of the Army’s new handgun on Sunday showcased the weapon with features that have not yet been fielded to soldiers.

Sig Sauer showed off a suppressor and a top-mounted, open-reflex sight during a media event leading up to this year’s SHOT Show, an annual shooting, hunting and outdoor trade show.

The two features are expected to be used by special operations forces or for special missions, though the sight may take longer to adopt, based on a November information session at the Army’s Program Executive Officer Soldier at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

The M17, or the military version of Sig Sauer’s P320 pistol chambered in 9mm, was selected a year ago this month by the Army and other services to replace the Beretta-made M9.

Some of the integral features of the handgun that helped it win the contract are the upper receiver base plate that allows for mounting the reflex sight and the ability to add a suppressor.

Here's a closer look at the reflex sight mounted on the Army's new M17 handgun. Gun maker Sig Sauer featured the sight during a range day leading up to the 2018 SHOT Show. (Christian Lowe/Staff)

Sig beat several of its competitors, including Glock, for the 10-year, $580 million contract to produce more than 200,000 pistols for the Army.

On Sunday, during the invitation-only range day, the company also showcased several of its pistols, rifles and carbines.

Todd South is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War. He has written about crime, courts, government and military issues for multiple publications for more than a decade. In 2014, he was named a Pulitzer finalist for local reporting on a project he co-wrote about witness problems in gang criminal cases. Todd covers ground combat for Military Times.